Lifeboat-launching gear



Oct. 14, 1924. 1,511,251

G. WRIGHT LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING GEAR Fileu Nov. 13, 1922 4 sheets-sheet 1 G. WRIGHT LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING GEAR Oct. 14, 1924.` 4 1,511,251

Filec Nov. 1s, 1222 4 sheets-sheet 2 2j. /NVENTOR /g 27 '2g Y @fo/raf M//F/a//T Oct. 14. 1924 G. WRIGHT LIFEBOAT LAUNCHYING GEAR Filed Nov. 13 la?. 4 sheets-sheet s @et i4. 1924 G. WRIGHT LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING GEAR 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filec Nov. 13 1922 Patented Get. 14, 1924.

UNl'lED STATES GEORGE WRIGHT, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LIFEBOAT-LAUNCHING GEAR.

Application filed November 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE RIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, in the count-y of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in a Lifeboat- Launching Gear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in ships davits or life boat launching and shipping mechanisms or gears for vessels at sea, and has for its principal object to provide for a durable and efficient construct-ion of the same whereby to expedite and otherwise facilitate the shipping, launching and re-shipping of life boats, and to render the operation of the mechanisms or gears less laborious than has heretofore obtained in known types of such devices.

With the foregoing and other equally important objects in view, the invention resides in the certain new and useful construction7 arrangement and operation of parts as will be hereinafter morev fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a preferred embodiment of the improved mechanism or gear, and showing, in full lines, the position of the parts when the life boat is disposed 'in readiness `for launching inboard of a vessel, and, in dotted lines, the position of the parts when the life boat has swung to initial outboard position ready for the lowering and launching operation thereof,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism or gear per se,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, partly in section, of the automatic screw actuated brake and clutch mechanism of the gear,

Figure l is a vertical transverse section taken on the line lof Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of the mechanism or gear, and, l

F igure' is a vertical transverse sectie taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5. l

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designates correspending parts throughout the several corelated views, thereof, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 1, inclusive, the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown therein as it appears when installed in posi- Serial No. 600,597.

tion on the boat or other deck a of a vessel whose hull is indicated as at o. Spaced inwardly from the side of the hull b, and rising from the deck a, are a pair of standards 10, only one of which is shown in the present instance, having davits 11 pivoted, as at 12, from the .upper ends thereof for swinging movements from normal vertical position inboard of the vessel to inclined position outboard of the side of the hull Z), of the latter, substantially as shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 1. A. life boat c is suspended between the standards 10 and the davits 11 from. the ends of cables or falls 13 trained through blocks 14 carried at the extreme outer ends of the davits, and is supported against swinging movements on rest blocks cl.

Disposed inwardly of the davits 11 is a winch geary frame formed of spaced standards 15 and 15, which are connected at their upper ends by a rod bolt 16. Journalled through the standards 15 and 15, at a distance below the rod bolt 16, is a shaft 17 on which is keyed, as at 17', a double winch drum 18 around the individual drum sections of which are wound the other ends of the cables or falls 13. This drum 18 is preferably mounted on the rear half portion of the shaft 17, inwardly of the standard 15', and has its forward flanged end formed with or otherwise secured to a solid member 19 which acts in the manner of a combined fly-wheel and brake drum. This wheel or drum 19 has trained around its periphery a brake band 20, while its outer forward face is adapted to be acted upon by an annular brake member 21, as will be hereinafter more.

fully explained. 1

Loosely mounted for normally free rotation on the shaft 17, forwardly of the drum 1S, is a screw 22 which has its rearwardly disposed end formed to provide an enlarged portion 23. The outer end face of this porion 2S is provided with a plurality of clutch rugs or teeth 21 arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with a corresponding number of clutch recesses 25 formed in the opposed end face of a hub portion 26 of the brake drum 19. The inner or forward end of the enlarged portion 23 is formed to provide an annular flange 23', the rear side of which is abutted by a circular collar 27 loosely mounted on the portion 23. The collar 27 is held in its abutting relation with the flange 23 by means of a coiled spring 28,

which Iencincles Vthe portion 23 'and the hub port1on 26. Enclosing the` end portion of the spring 28 snr-rounding the hub 26 1s a cylindrical housing 26', which may, ifeesired,

be formed as an integral part of the latter', as shown in lligure 3, while theouter end portion of the spring 2S is housed within an annular recess or seat 27 formed inwardly ot' the outer face of the collar 27. l The outer ond portion ol" .the .annular recess or seat is enlarged to a greater diameter `than that or' the vspring.sea-tingfportion thereof, and is arranged in overlapping relation with respectto the opposed end lportion of the housino' or llange 26, whereby the spring 28 is completely enclosed for `protection against injury'. 'Projecting diametrically at the upper and lower sides of the collar 27 are .ears 29 to which are vpivoted at one of their ends the arras 30, the same having their other ends similarly pivoted to link members These link members -31' are bolted at their opposite ends, as at 31/,to brace members 32 which are,-in turn, s cured to stationary parts ot the gear'supporting frame,

as'at 32.

lslounted on the screw 22 is a travelling nut or collar '53, which is formed to provide *la plurality of radially disposed ears 3'3 to vwhich are pivoted arms '34 extending to and through the link members 3l. tor pivotal connection with ears 21', formed on the outer face lof the annular brake member 2l, whereby .the latter will be moved into and ont of operative braking relation with respect to the opposed tace of the drum or wheel 19 correspondingly with the movements of the nut or collar along` the screw 22.

The action ol' the spring 28 is to normally torce the screw 22'forwardly along the shaft 17, so that the clutch lugs 24 are disengaojed from thev clutch recesses 25 ofthe hub 26,

and whereby the brake drum or wheel 19 and the drum 18 will be disconnected from the screw 22 and free for rotation with the shaft 17. Howeveiyto obtain a desired automatic operation of the bra-ke member 21, 4during certain of the rotative movements ot the drum 18, the screw 22 is to be forced rearwardly along the shatt 17 for the engagement of the clutch lugs 24 carried thereby with the clutch recesses 25, of the hub 26, by means ot a wedge block or shoe 35, which isa ranged to be forced against a collar 36 carried at the torward 'end of the screw 22 for the purpose. lhis block or shoe 35 is preferably in the form of a wedge having a bevelled yace at its inner end for cooperation with a similarly bevelled face formed on the forward side ot the collar 36, and, at itsv forward or outer end, with a straight fiat :face arranged to bear against the inner side of the standard 15,.,This wedge block :35 vis to be readily manipulated ythqough the medium .of Aa `hand lever 37 pivoted to the standard above the bearing 15a thereon, as at 38, and is carried on an angular-ly extended Aarm 37', formed at the lower 'pivoted end of the lever 37 for the purpose, and whereby to be lowered' and raised to and from operative posit-ion correspondingly with ,the swinging movements of the lever and arm.

F or imparting the desired ornecessa-ry rotative movements to the shaft- 17, a relav-l tive large gear 39 is loosely mounted on the forward end thereof, which end is projected for a distance through the standard 15 for the purpose, and also to h ave slidably keyed thereon at its extreme 'tree end a clutch member 40 arranged to be moved into and out oic engagement with ay complemental clutch element 41 carried at the outer endk of the hub ot the gear 89. The gear 39 is arranged in mesh with a driving pinion 42, which keyed on a stub shaft 43 Vjournalled 'its inner end through the standard 15 at point above the gear 39 and has its outer .end projecting through aguard iframe 44, secured at the forward sideotl the standard 15, for the reception thereon of a hand crank 45. The clutch member 40 is to be readily operated to connect and disconnect the gear l9to and from the shaft 17, by means of a hand lever 46, which is pivoted `to the same, as atv40, and Ato a bracket 47 projeotino from the forward side of the guardvt'rame 44. '.lf'o lock the hand lever 46 in position to keep the clutch members 40' and ,4l engaged the handle portion of thelever 46 is provided with an opening 48 to be registered with an opening 48, formed in the outer ond or' a. keeper bracket 49 projecting trom the forward side of the guard trame below the bracket 47, when a lock pin 50, carried at the end ol a chain 51 attached to the bracket 49, will be inserted through the openings for the purpose.

The brake band20, hereinbe'ifore spoken ol as being trainer around the periphery of the brake drum or wheel 1.9, has one o-'t its ends secured, as at 52, to the upper" end of a bracket 53, which is securely fastened to the deck t of the vessel the outboard sideci the mechanism or gear, substantially as shown in Figure 2 and 4, while itsother end is similarly at ached, as at 54, to the outer end of an an ularly disposed yarm or extension 55, 'loria .di at the lower end ot a lever 56, which is pivotally mounted in the bracket as at 56. This lever 56 is of a length to normally7 incline upwardly, so as Vte have its tree end overlie the lite boat c, when the latter is either in its position of readiness for launching on ship-board o -r in its initially suspended position outboard of the vessel, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1. rllhe extreme outer end ofthe vlever 56, is provided with an eye 57 for the securing therein of one end of an operating rope or cable 58, which has its major length normally coiled, in the bottom of the life boat c, and in a manner to readily pay out during the lowering movement of the latter.

In the operation of the foregoing embodiment of the invention, and it is desired to effect the launching of the life boat c, the hand lever 37 is moved to its full line position (Figure 2) to force the wedge block home between the bearing 15a and the collar 36, when the screw 22 will be moved rearwardly along` the shaft 17 for the engagement of the clutch lugs 24 thereof in the recesses 25, whereby the screw 22 will be coup-led to the brake drum 19, the winch drum 18 and the shaft 17. The hand lever 46 will now be manipulated to move the clutch 40 into engagement with the clutch l1 to couple the gear 39 to the shaft 17, when, by turning the hand crank 45 in an out-board direction, the shaft 17 will be rotated, together with the drum 18, the brake drum 19, and the screw 22, with the result that the life boat c will be lifted from the rest blocks CZ, and the brake member 21 released from its braking effect on the brake drum 19, the cables or falls 13 being further wound upon the drum 18, and the collar or nut 33 being moved forwardly along the screw 22 for the purpose. Now, by a reversed movement of the hand crank 45, the cables or falls 13 will slack off' to admit of the outward swinging of the davit-s 11 for the moving of the life boat c to initial out-board position, during which slacking off of the cables or falls 18, and as a consequence of the reversed rotation of the shaft 17, the drum 1S, the brake drum 19 and the screw 22, the nut or collar 313 will move rearwardly of the latter and will again engage the brake member 21 with the opposed face of the brake drum 19, so that the life boat c will be held in its initially suspended out-board position until it is desired to lower the same to its water-borne state. A member of the crew of the life boat c, remaining on board the vessel for the purpose, will now manipulate the hand lever 37 to withdraw the wedge block 35 from its holding engagement with the collar 36 of the screw 22 for the automatic disengagement of the clutch members or lugs Q91 of the latter from the clutch recesses 25 of the brake drum 19 and the release of the brake member :21, also from the opposed. face of the brake drum 19, while, at the same time, a member of the crew within the life boat c will grasp the hand rope or cable 57 and exert a downward pull on the lever 56 to tighten the brake band 2O around the brake drum 19, so that the life boat will be held against lowering movement by gravity until after the remaining member of the crew has take-n his place on board. `The life boat c will now lower by gravity upon a slacking up on the hand rope or cable T for the loosening up of the brake band 2O on the brake drum 19, when the drum 18, the brake drum 1 9 and the shaft 17 will freely rotate in the standards 15, for the unwinding of the cables or yfalls 13. W ith the life boat c fully water-borne, the attached ends of the cables or falls 13 will now be cast o from the opposite ends thereof, when the same will be ready to get under way.

In Figures 5 and 6, there is shown a modified form of the invention, and, in this instance, the same is power operated, so as to be controlled entirely by a member of the crew of the life boat c and from a position therein. As shown, a base 59 is provided and has the standards 15a and 15b rising from the opposite ends thereof, with the shaft 17a journalled at its opposite ends therethrough, somewhat after the manner of the preferred form of the winch gear. Fastened on the shaft 17a, immediately inward of the standard 15a and by means of a key 17D, is a double drum 18a, around the two sections of which are wound the cables or t falls 13a. Keyed on the shaft 17a, and immediately inward of the standard 15', is a brake drum or wheel. 19a, having its periphery encircled by a brake band 20a. Overhanging the brake drum 19at is an arm 15C,

which is angularly formed with the upper end of the standard 15b,.and is of a length to have its free end project for a short distance beyond the plane of the inner face of the drum, whereby to have bolted thereto, as at 60, a depending bracket 61, which is formed to provide a thickened bearing portion upwardly from its lower end for the journalling therein of an intermediate portion of the shaft 17a.

Loosely mount-ed on. the shaft 17a', immediately in rear of the winch drum 18"', is a worm gear or wheel 22a arrai'iged in mesh with a. worm 22" keyed on the shaft of a motor M, which is bolted in position on the base 59. The hub of the worm gear or wheel 22a, at the rear side thereof, is formed to provide for a set of clutch recesses 25a, with which are cooperative a corresponding number of clutch lugs or teeth 24a of a clutch member 24h, keyed for sliding movement on the shaft 17ac lnterposed between the rear end of the clutch member 24h and the opposed. face of the bearing portion of the bracket 61, is a coiled spring 28a, normally acting to tension the clutch member 211" into engagement with the worm gear or wheel 29a.v whereby the power from the motor M will be transmitted to the shaft 17a, and consequently, to the winchy drum 18a and the bra-ke drum or wheel 19a. F or effecting the disengagement of the clutch 24h .from the complemental clutch portion of the worm gear or wheel 22a, a lever 62 is pivoted at an intermediate point to the clutch 24h, and at its` lower end to an angularly disposed arm 61a formed at the lower end of the bracket 61.

In controlling the operation of this type of the gear, it is contemplated that only one member of the crew of the life boat will be required for, the purpose, and, to'such end, the operating devices ot the brake band 2()EL and the clutch 24th are interconnected in a manner to be hereinafter more fully eX- plained. The brake band "l has one ot its ends secured, as at 54a, to the angularly bent lower end portion. 55"L of an operating lever 56a, and the other oit its ends to the pivotal connection 56h of the lever 56@L with the bracket- 58, which is secured on the base 59. This operating lever 56L vis interconnected :tor simultaneous operation with the clutch lever 62, by means. of a hand cable or rope 58a which has one of its: ends trained through an eye 57a, formed at the upper end ot the lever 56, and from thence through an eye 6J4 formed at one side of the bracket 61, and

then through an eye 622L formed at the upper end of the lever 62, where it is knotted against all possibility of being pulled out oit engagement with the latter eye. Clamped on the cable or rope 57a, at a suitable point thereon between the eye 56, oft the lever 56, and the eye 61h, of the bracket 61, is a metal collar 63, which' will engage the end of the lever 56EL to operate the same, when the free end ot the cable or rope 58ZL is pulled on from within the life boat c.

ln the operation of this modied form of the invention, a member of the crew of the life boat will board the same and take hold ot the cable or rope 58a, when the remainder of the crew will go abroad, the last man stopping only long enough to: start up the motor. Upon the initial starting of the motor M, the worm gear or wheel 22u will rotate and through the clutch 24J will, in turn, rotate the shatt 17a, the winch drum 18a'. and the brake drum` 19, with the result that the lite boat will be lifted` from its point of rest for a slight distance. The member of the crew oit' the lite boat, having charge oi the cable or rope 58, will now exert a pull on the same tol the operation of the lever 62 to disengage the clutch 24", when the worm gear or wheel 22a will continue to rotate freely on the shaft 17", while the shaft 17a, the drum 18a, and the brake drum 19aL will be free to be rotated in the opposite direction under the unwinding action of the cables or falls 13 caused by the lowering ot the lite boat by gravity. rllhis lowering movement of the lite boat may bev readily checked, ii necessary, by ay greater pulling action being exerted on the cable or rope 58a for the full compression of the spring 28a, which readily admits of the tightening of the brake band 2OEIL on the brake' drum i953 but which does not need to be fully compressed to allow for the disengagement ot the clutch, as hereinbei'ore stated. lilithv the clutch disengaged, and the spring 28a only partially compressed, the brake. 'band 2OFL is not tightened on the brake ydrum 19EL suiiciently to prevent'the desired gravitation of the lite boat to waterborne position, but only to effect a retardation oi" the lowering movement thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that, while preferred embodiments oit thelaui'iching mechanisms or gears have been described and illustrated herein in specific lterms and details: oit construction, arrangement and operation, various changes in and other modifications thereof vmay be resorted to, v.f'itho-ut departing trom'the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thusfully described the invention, what is claimed, is y l. The combination with the davits of a vessel, of a falls normally acting to suspend a life boat from the davits and in a position of readinessl for launching inboard of the vessel, a winch drum for said falls, an actuating means for said winch drum, means for kdisconnecting said actuating means from said Winch drum Jfor the lowering of the life boat to water-borne position by gravity, and automatic means for braking said winch drum prior to the final lowering movement of the life boat.

2. The combination with the Adavits ot a vessel, of a falls normally acting to suspend a lite boat from the davits and in a position of readiness for launching inboard ot' the vessel, a winch drum for said falls,

means normally braking said winch drum against rotative movement, means for actuating said winch drum for the initial step .in the lowering movement of the life boat out board of the vessel, means for automatically releasing said braking means simultaneously with the operation of said actuating means, and mjeans for disconnecting` said actuating means from said winch drum for the further lowering of the life boat to water-borne position by gravity.

v3. The combination with the davits of a vessel, of a falls normally acting to suspend a life boat from the davits and'in a position of readinessv'for launching inboard ot the vessel, a winch drum for said lfalls, means normally braking said winch drum against rotative movement, means for actuating said winch drum for the initial step in the lowering movement of the lifeboat out-board of the vessel, means for automatically releasing said braking means simultaneously with the operation of said actuating means, said braking means being automatically actuated to subsequent operative position for holding said winch drum against further rotative movement when the life boat has reached its initially lowered position, and manually actuated means for e`ecting the further release of said braking means from said winch drum for the lowering ot the life boat to water-borne position by gravity.

4c. The combination with the davits ot a vessel, of a falls normally acting to suspend a life boat from the davits and in a position of readiness 'for launching inbcard oiv the vessel, a Winch drum for said tails., means normally braking said winch drum against rotative movement, means .tor actuating said winch drum toi' the initial step in the lowering movement of the life boat out-board of the vessel, means for automatically7 releasing said 'braking means simultaneously with the operation oi1 said actu-v ating means, said braking means being automatically actuated to subsequent operative position for holding said winch drum against Jfurther rotative movement when the life boat has reached its initially low-- ered position, manually actuated means for eii'ecting the further release of said braking means from said winch drum for the lowering of the life boat to water-borne position by gravity, and a second means for braking,` said Winch drum for controlling the final lowering movements of the life boati 5. The combination with the davits of a vessel, ot a falls normally acting to suspend a life boat from the davits and in a position of readiness for launching inboard ost' the vessel, a winch drum for said falls, means normally braking said winch drum against rotative movements, means for actuating said winch drum for the initial lowering step in the movement of the life boat out-board of the vessel, means for automatically releasing said braking means simultaneously with the operation of said actuating means, said braking means being automatically actuated to subsequent operative position for holding said winch drum against further rotative movement when the life boat has reached its initially lowered position, manually actuated means for effecting the further release of said 'braking means from said winch drum for the lowering of the life boat tov water-borne position by gravity, a second braking means cooperative with said winch drum for controlling the final lowering movement of the life boat, and means for controlling said last mentioned braking means from within the liife boat throughout the iinal lowering movements thereof.

GEORGE WRIGHT. 

